Lake Wendouree
A median age of 53 sets Lake Wendouree apart immediately, sitting 13 years above the national figure and signalling one of Ballarat's most established owner-occupier enclaves. University qualifications reach 47.8% of residents, 17.7 percentage points above the national average, while household incomes rank in the 73.3rd percentile nationally. The 12.1% vacancy rate is notably elevated, reflecting a predominantly detached-house stock held largely by outright owners who are slow to list.
Local council: Ballarat
Population
2,878
Median Age
53.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,953/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
42
Median House
$1.2M
October to December 2025
Stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 79.1%, with 18.8% semi-detached and only 2.1% apartments, so buyers face a genuinely detached market. The four-plus bedroom category accounts for 33.3% of dwellings, indicating a significant portion of larger family homes. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,106, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 24.9%, below the 30% stress threshold, which is consistent with the older, more financially established resident base.
For Buyers
Stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 79.1%, with 18.8% semi-detached and only 2.1% apartments, so buyers face a genuinely detached market. The four-plus bedroom category accounts for 33.3% of dwellings, indicating a significant portion of larger family homes. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,106, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 24.9%, below the 30% stress threshold, which is consistent with the older, more financially established resident base.
For Investors
Rental conditions in Lake Wendouree are modest by premium-suburb standards. The 12.1% vacancy rate is elevated compared to a typical suburb, meaning landlords face meaningful competition for tenants. The renter share is only 25.6%, well below average, because 51.8% of residents own outright and 22.6% carry a mortgage, leaving a relatively small renter pool. Development activity is modest at 16 applications in the past 12 months.
Development Activity
Total DAs
50
Last 12 Months
42
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+740.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Lake Wendouree
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Pleasant Street Primary School (Ballarat)
Demographics
The median age of 53 is 13 years above the national figure, placing Lake Wendouree among the more aged suburbs in regional Victoria. Couples without children make up 37.9% of families, consistent with a suburb where many households have moved past the child-rearing stage. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below the national figure. University qualifications at 47.8% run 17.7 percentage points above the national average, reflecting the suburb's professional and managerial resident base. Overseas-born residents at 13.1% sit 8.5 percentage points below the national figure, making the suburb more locally-born than most, with ancestry dominated by English (1,226), Irish (569) and Scottish (429). Volunteering is high at 26.2% of residents, above typical community engagement rates nationally.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
79.1%
Houses
18.8%
Townhouse
2.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is heavily skewed toward ownership: 51.8% of residents own their home outright, with only 22.6% carrying a mortgage and 25.6% renting. The proportion owning outright is substantially above national norms and points to a long-established, debt-free ownership cohort rather than a churn of recent buyers. Separate houses dominate at 79.1% of dwellings, with semi-detached at 18.8% and apartments a small 2.1%. Bedroom sizes lean larger, with 33.3% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms and 40.8% having three. The 12.1% vacancy rate is higher than typical, suggesting some softness in listing activity.
Mortgage / mo
$2,106
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$321
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,010
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.1%
Unoccupied
157
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.7%
Couples with children
52.4%
Couples, no children
10.5%
Single parent
754
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry locally, accounting for 27.3% of workers (268 residents), reflecting proximity to Ballarat Health Services and regional medical facilities. Education is the second largest sector at 14.1% (138 residents), consistent with the suburb's highly credentialled population. Professional and technical services add another 9.3% (91 residents). By occupation, Professionals lead at 460 workers, followed by Managers at 255, together comprising the majority of the employed workforce. The unemployment rate is 3.5%, below the broader regional average, and the full-time employment rate is 58.3%. Participation sits at 49.8%, below state norms, which reflects the large proportion of retired and semi-retired residents given the median age of 53. Household incomes rank in the 73.3rd percentile nationally despite the lower participation rate.
Unemployment
3.2%
Labour Force
1,327
Unemployed
43
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.0%
Part-time
38.7%
Participation
53.5%
Employed
1,284
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
47.8%
Postgraduate
14.1%
Born Overseas
13.1%
Dwellings
1,145
Transport to Work
Car dependency is pronounced, with 79.7% of residents driving to work, above national averages, while only 1.2% use public transport. Walking and cycling are meaningfully elevated at 11.6%, likely driven by the lakeside setting and proximity to Ballarat's central amenities. Crime totalled 175 incidents over the measured period, a rate of 60.8 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences accounting for 136 of those, and crimes against the person at 22. Housing stress indicators are healthy: mortgage-to-income at 24.9% and rent-to-income at 16.4% both sit below standard stress thresholds, indicating financial comfort across ownership and renting cohorts. Volunteers make up 26.2% of residents, above typical national engagement levels.
Drive
61.6%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
9.0%
Work from Home
22.8%
Growth Outlook
Residential mobility is low, with 77.4% of residents remaining at the same address over the prior five years versus only 22.6% turnover, reinforcing the suburb's stable, long-holding ownership base. Development activity of 16 applications in 12 months is subdued, consistent with low new supply entering the market.
Population trend: Ballarat council area
Lake Wendouree sits in the Ballarat council area. These are the council area's residents, not Lake Wendouree's.
Residents 2025
122,661
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.9%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
175
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
60.8
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Lake Wendouree compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lake Wendouree a good suburb to live in?
Lake Wendouree appeals strongly to owner-occupiers, with 51.8% of residents owning outright and household incomes in the 73.3rd percentile nationally. University qualifications reach 47.8%, 17.7 percentage points above the national average.
What schools are in Lake Wendouree?
Families rely on schools in neighbouring parts of Ballarat. Locally, 47.8% of residents hold university qualifications, 17.7 percentage points above the national figure, reflecting a highly educated resident base.
Is Lake Wendouree safe?
The recorded crime rate is 60.8 incidents per 1,000 residents, totalling 175 incidents. Property and deception offences account for the majority at 136, while crimes against the person numbered 22. Housing stress is low, with mortgage-to-income at 24.9% and rent-to-income at 16.4%, both below distress thresholds.
Is Lake Wendouree good for property investment?
The 12.1% vacancy rate is elevated, and the renter share is just 25.6%, so tenant demand is thinner than in higher-density suburbs.
How is Lake Wendouree's population changing?
The population is 2,878 with a median age of 53, which is 13 years above the national figure. Mobility is low, with 77.4% of residents at the same address over the prior 5 years versus 22.6% turnover. The aging profile and high outright ownership suggest a slowly renewing, established resident base rather than rapid population growth.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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